Shell started production from its new offshore platform in the Malampaya natural gas field, off the Philippines.
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Malampaya. From Shell. |
The offshore platform known as the depletion compression platform (DCP) is next to the existing Malampaya shallow water platform, located about 50km offshore from Palawan in western Philippines.
Combined with the drilling of two new production wells completed in 2013, the DCP will maintain the level of gas production. This is to fulfill commitments under existing gas sales agreements, thus ensuring the steady supply of natural gas to Luzon, the most populous Filipino island.
Zenaida Monsada, secretary for the Philippine Department of Energy said the new offshore platform is the first to be designed and constructed in the Philippines and marks a landmark accomplishment for the upstream industry in the country.
Malampaya DCP
The self-installing technology of the platform is a first of its kind, says operator Shell. It enabled the platform to be installed without the need for large specialized installation vessels. A team of more than 1400 Filipino workers took about two years to build the DCP at the Keppel Shipyard in Subic, Zambales. Fabrication was completed at safety record of 11.8 million hours.
The platform was built to float and was towed from Subic to the Malampaya location, offshore Palawan. The inbuilt jacking system enabled the 80m legs to be jacked down and lift the platform from the water into its final position. Both the existing shallow water platform and the new DCP are designed to withstand the typhoons and earthquakes, which the Philippines experiences.
Malampaya project
The Malampaya deepwater gas-to-power development is a joint venture between Shell Philippines Exploration, B.V. (SPEX), Chevron Malampaya LLC (Chevron) and the Philippine National Oil Company- Exploration Corporation (PNOC-EC). This development has benefited the Philippines in a few ways, including injecting billions of dollars in revenue to the national government.
Since, historically the Filipinos have relied on imported fuel to meet their energy requirement, Malampaya has also helped to reduce the country’s import dependency by providing up to 30% of the energy requirements. Moreover, the construction of the new Malampaya platform has generated more than a thousand direct jobs, as well as more business for local companies supporting the project.
Workers tapped for the construction underwent mandatory training to elevate their competencies to meet world-class standards. The Malampaya Health Safety and Environment Training Center has so far upgraded the skills of more than 6000 Filipino workers to international standards recognized by the Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Organization.
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